Berkeley Symphony Reveals 2023-24 Season

Berkeley Symphony has announced its 2023-24 Season, led by Music Director Joseph Young, who is now in his fifth season with the historic organization. With four Symphonic Series performances and five Chamber Series performances, Berkeley Symphony will present a range of impactful programming that spans the expansive catalog of orchestral music. The 52nd Season will highlight musings on poetry, literature, light, and art, while converging classic and contemporary scores. Subscription packages are available now and may be purchased online at berkeleysymphony.org or by calling the box office at 510.841.2800. Individual concert tickets will go on sale in the fall. 

“Our 52nd season embodies the vibrant, bold, and original essence of our community,” says Young. “Berkeley Symphony goes beyond the conventional, to spotlight the intersections and interplay between symphonic music, jazz, and contemporary classical. Together with world-class guest artists and our exceptional musicians, Berkeley Symphony will play with a palette of orchestral color.” 

“Joseph has curated an exciting, innovative, and inclusive season that responds to our ever-changing world and deepens our connection to audiences across the San Francisco Bay Area,” says Kate Kammeyer, Executive Director of Berkeley Symphony. “Through the immense talent of our musicians, as well as creative and accessible programming, Berkeley Symphony continues to flourish, adapting to serve the well-being of our diverse and unique community.”

SYMPHONIC SERIES

The Symphonic Series will open with American Kaleidoscope on Sunday, October 15 at 4 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall. The Marcus Roberts Trio will join forces with the orchestra to present the jazz-infused brilliance of Rodney Johnson's Yamekraw: A Negro Rhapsody, as well as George Gershwin's iconic Rhapsody in Blue. Audiences will also experience the rare harmonies of Samuel Barber's Essay for Orchestra No. 2 and Peter S. Shin's introspective score Relapse. 

The series continues with French Reverie on Sunday, February 25, 2024 at 4 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. The performance will immerse audiences in a celebration of musical contributions of trailblazing French composers, drawing from the impressionist era to modern day. Vivid colors come to life in Claude Debussy's signature symphonic poem, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, while Guillaume Connesson's A Kind of Trane honors the legendary jazz icon John Coltrane, featuring Robert Young, saxophone. The pioneering creativity of Louise Farrenc's Symphony No. 3 in G minor will round out the evening, painting a rich and colorful musical tapestry.

On Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. Literary Soundscapes will bring literature to life, exploring the enchantment of musical storytelling at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. The West Coast Premiere of Joel Puckett's There Was a Child Who Went Forth—featuring the tenor Nicholas Phan—draws inspiration from Walt Whitman's poetic childhood account, while Felix Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream, captures the essence of one of Shakespeare's most revered comedies. These works are bookended by an extraordinary fusion of Langston Hughes' epic poem and Laura Karpman's interdisciplinary creation, Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz, Part 1 and Part 3, conveying a rich tapestry of American voices. 

For the final symphonic performance of the season, Berkeley Symphony returns to Zellerbach Hall for Pictures at an Exhibition on Sunday, June 2, 2024 at 4 p.m., where color, light, and soulful melodies intertwine. Duke Ellington's Solitude, arranged by Morton Gould, evokes the voices of jazz legends Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong. The celestial phenomenon of the Northern Lights come to life through Jimmy López Bellido's enchanting Aurora Violin Concerto, featuring the virtuosity of Leticia Moreno. Modest Mussorgsky's grand Pictures at an Exhibition, orchestrated by Maurice Ravel, offers a vivid look into Viktor Hartmann's paintings and life. Through the transcendent fusion of sight and sound, the performance will paint an unforgettable landscape that captivates audiences. 

CHAMBER SERIES

Five Chamber Series performances will accompany the Symphonic Series, paired to accompany the programming and feature a spectrum of musical styles, textures, and sensations. All Chamber Series concerts will take place in an intimate setting at Piedmont Center for the Arts. 

The Chamber Series begins with American Intersections on Sunday, September 24, 2023 at 4 p.m., featuring Vijay Iyer's Dig the Say, Margaret Bonds' Credo for solo piano, Molly Joyce's Anatomy is Destiny, Jessie Montgomery's Source Code, and Antonin Dvorak's String Quintet no. 3 in E flat major, Op. 97, B.180. American Intersections expands the listeners expectations of what the “American” sound can be in classical music. Paired with the Symphonic 1 program, we explore jazz, blues, funk, folk music and diverse voices from all walks of life expressing the representation of cultural heritage, gender, abilities and influences, all which make up this vibrant country.

The second performance of the series zooms in on the Golden State with California Connections on Sunday, November 19, 2023 at 4 p.m. will feature Gabriela Lena Frank's Kanto Kechua #2, Ben Shirley's High Sierra Sonata, Anaís Azul's Cascades and Canyons, Gabriella Smith's Carrot Revolution, and John Adams' Book of Alleged Dances. California Connections not only highlights California and the Bay Area's talented composers but also the relationships built through mentoring and learning from each other with Gabriela Lena Frank and John Adams as major influences in addition to their personal connections to Berkeley!

On Sunday, December 3, 2023, Berkeley Symphony will present Holiday Winds, a concert of festive holiday favorites performed by the Berkeley Symphony Woodwind Quintet. Join us for music, treats and a fun way to celebrate all of the winter holidays!

The Chamber Series continues on Sunday, February 4, 2024 with Spirited Impressions, celebrating the Lunar New Year and the upcoming 2024 Year of the Dragon. The program will include Cecil Chaminade's Piano Trio no. 1 G minor, Op. 11, Zhou Long's Spirit of the Chimes, Chen Yi's At the Kansas City Chinese New Year Concert, and Debussy's Piano Trio in G major. We continue our intersections and influences in Spirited Impressions as we highlight the works of married couple Zhou Long and Chen Yi to celebrate the 2024 Lunar New Year and the many influences Chinese harmonies, scales and modes have had on the great French composers. This program pairs with our Symphonic 2 program in highlighting a wide range of French music and female composers like Chaminade and Farrenc who are only now being appreciated for their musical genius.

Rounding out the series is Play on Words on Sunday, April 14, 2024, featuring guest artists, Lisa Delan, soprano, and Rene Mandel, violin, Play on Words includes Juhi Bansal's An Imaginary Thing, Gordon Getty's Four Dickinson Songs, Erich Wolfgang Korngold's Much Ado About Nothing, Jake Heggie's Shed No Tear, Felix Mendelssohn's From Song Without Words, and Valerie Coleman's Portraits of Langston. Play on Words continues our celebration of poetry and literature from our Symphonic 3 program featuring the works of Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, John Keats, William Shakespeare and Walt Whitman. Join us for this colorful program and celebrate Poetry month in April!

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